


Assumptions

by BrennaCeDria



Series: The Hero, The Champion, The Revolutionary [12]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-03
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-17 16:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrennaCeDria/pseuds/BrennaCeDria





	Assumptions

_**Takes place early in Act 1 of Dragon Age II** _ _from a Meresino prompt for the word "_ _**Ultracrepidarian** _ _\- Of one who speaks or offers opinions on matters beyond their knowledge." Heavily references my head canon for Cullen, as well as both his connection to my non-Warden Vrania Amell, and Vrania's specific-and specialized-use of the games' magic. As always, I'm playing in Bioware's sandbox._

* * *

"What is  _this_?"

Meredith ignored the First Enchanter's outburst, finishing her current report before finally turning her attention to the irate mage. "What is what?" she asked, before noticing finally the crumpled page in his fist. "Ah. So you've been notified of the latest change of policy, I see."

" _Apprentices are no longer permitted to engage in entropic studies,_ " he read from the page. " _Likewise, the study of entropic spells by Harrowed mages must be approved on an individual basis by not only their Senior Enchanter, but by the First Enchanter and the Knight Commander. Said approval may be revoked by any of the above-detailed individuals, and any mage caught practicing such arts without approval will be put under immediate review._ "

"You disapprove?"

"Maker's breath, Meredith, of course I disapprove! Why in Andraste's name would you think to ban the study of one of the primary schools of magic?"

Sitting back calmly in her chair, she considered the man before her. "You will notice,  _First Enchanter_ , that I have not banned the study and practice of entropic spells. I have only restricted them that they can be taught to only those mages who have the aptitude and self-control to not abuse the power those spells give over another person."

Orsino had begun to pace, but then stopped suddenly as he understood her implication. "This is about the rumors about that transfer from Kinloch Hold, isn't it? The one who slaughtered those apprentices?"

"That is pure slander, and I'll not hear another word of it from you or anyone else. Ser Cullen was confused, and lashed out, but there were no casualties from his incident."

Shaking his head in frustration, Orsino began to pace again. "You admit the boy was confused—that he doesn't know what happened to him during the takeover of the Fereldan Circle—yet you take his word that practices approved by the Chantry generations ago are unsafe to teach to our own apprentices?"

"Orsino, I have done no such thing." Meredith sighed; it seemed that no matter how she tried, the worst was always assumed of her intentions. "While the new Knight Captain—yes, I've promoted him, and I'll not hear a word on that either—knows of my decision to restrict such studies, I doubt he suspects that he is the cause of those restrictions."

"I don't suppose you're planning to explain that?"

Sighing again, Meredith stood and crossed to a nearby cabinet and poured a glass of wine for each of them. When the First Enchanter accepted his and finally sat across the desk, Meredith took her own seat again.

"Before Knight Commander Greagior sent Cullen here, he sent a letter detailing much of what happened at Kinloch Hold during the blood mage Uldred's revolt. Apparently there was a mage girl in that Circle that Cullen was infatuated with; no one was ever able to confirm if it went beyond that or not." Meredith took several long gulps of her wine. "The relationship or lack thereof is not what concerns me, however. Greagior and First Enchanter Irving had come to suspect that the girl had learned to harness her exceptional skill with the school of entropy— _not_  blood magic—to bend others to her will, including Ser Cullen. The girl was killed in the uprising, but we agreed it was best to remove Cullen from the environment before it caused any further instability in his disposition."

"Entropy cannot be used for control in such a way," Orsino argued. "If it were at all possible, the Chantry would never have approved it in the first place."

Meredith raised one eyebrow. "No? The spells of that school permit a mage to confound an enemy, to put him to sleep and give him nightmares beyond imagining. It seems perfectly logical to me, now that I've heard the theories, that such abuses of this power might be possible. This is why I am restricting such studies to only those who have been properly approved for such study."

"Fine, then, for apprentices," he conceded begrudgingly. "But a harrowed mage should be permitted to study any approved school."

"The Harrowing only confirms a mage's ability to resist demonic temptations, Orsino. The power this girl was suspected of? No demons are required for its use. Greagior is confident that she never taught any others what she knew, but if one girl can learn how to do such things, others can as well. That is why I chose to restrict its use, and my decision is final, First Enchanter.


End file.
